Power-driven dental mandrels have long been used in dentistry. Abrasive disks attachable to such mandrels for use in restorative work, to provide proximal contact adjustment and complete marginal seating of crowns, veneers, inlays/onlays, and proximal contouring of composite fillings is also known. However, current systems do not provide adequate safety to prevent inadvertent contact by the rotating disc (rotating at thousands of rpm) against the patient's mouth, which could cause severe injury. Additionally, current systems lack a safety mechanism to control absolute depth, or to prevent contact by the rotating shaft against a patient's adjacent teeth during use.
Providing a snap-on shield which surrounds the non-use (but still dangerous) side of the abrasive disk, and which extends to prevent contact by the rotating shaft against adjacent teeth, would provide substantially improved safety and permit the dentist to apply greater focus to the restoration work itself. Such a shield would also reduce possibility that material thrown from the abrasive disc will deposit on the dentist's safety glasses (thereby reducing visibility and safety) as well as reducing the amount of unwanted debris in the patient's mouth.